Adversus Judaeos Homilies

(1,342 words)

The term Adversus Judaeos homilies refers to a canon of disparate texts of the Christian Church that contain the phrase “adversus Judaeos” (“against the Jews”) in the title. These texts, which go back to the second century, are directed against the Jews and Judaism, and against judaizing Christians, i.e. members of Christian communities who espoused Jewish beliefs or participated in elements of their religious practice. The contents, which were initially presented as polemics and later settled into convention, formed a repertoire for anti-Jewish and later antisemitic ideas.